Pocket clip



R. T. WING May 15, 1951 POCKET CLIP Filed March 23, 1946 I" 'Il' [52 Z/eIz faim' `Patented May 15,

UNITED STAT-ES PATENT OFFICE POCKET CLIP Russell T. Wing, Excelsior,Minn. Application March 23, 1946, Serial N o. 656,628 v3 Claims. (Cl.24-11) This invention relates to pocket clips and has foriits principalobject to provide a `device of that character' which is well adapted`for use .with fountain pens and the like, and which operates in such away as togrip the pocket with increasingforce Vas any force tending todislodge the pen is increasedexcept when the clipis intentionallyreleased to facilitate withdrawal of the pen jor pen receptacle.

Another object is to provide a pocket clip which is easy Yto attach to apocket, Yand valso easy to detach when it is lthe intention to do so.

All of the various embodiments of my rinvention have the commoncharacteristic that the pocket-gripping portion of the clip is s omounted as to b e movable, relatively to the pen barrel, only in a pathso directed that anyvforceiapplied to said pocket-gripping portion as aresult of an effort to remove the pen from the pocket, withoutirstireleasing the clip, will increase the grip of said portion on thepocketfrontpiece.

In each of the most practical applications of my invention, thepocket-gripping portion of the clip is a-rrangedto be movable Iin anarcuate path, the center of which is so located that the pocketgrippingportion inherently moves along vsaidarcuate path in a direction toincrease its grip whenever, withoutihaving rst released-the clip, aforce is applied tending to withdraw Athepen or pen receptacle, as thecase may behfrom-.the pocket.

My invention is further characterized in that the pocket clip can easilybe released, Whenever it is the intent so todo; and the mechanism is ofsuch character that attachment of the. clip; to a pocket can beaccomplished more easily and quickly than is the case with pocket clipsof the conventional type.

In the drawing which cation:

Figure l is a front elevational View of a pen receptacle having a pocketclip inaccordance with the invention;

Fig, 2 is a side elevational viewof the same pen receptacle;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken alongr line 3-.3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an internal View taken at line 454. .of Fig. 1-the casing andpocket clipbeing shown iny section in order toy illustrate iniull: linesthe accompanies this specihair-pin yspring which actuates the lpocketclip andthemannerof its securement Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional viewtakenalong line 5-*5 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional Viewtaken along line -Ei ofFig. 2.

The drawing shows, on a greatly enlarged scale, an elongate, cup-likepen receptacle I de'- signed tobe carried in a vest or coat'pocket, anda Yfountain pen 2 in lthe receptacle. The pen itself constitutesino partof the present invention.

A releasable locking means (not shown) of suitable construction may beprovided.

Receptacle i is approximately rectangularexf ternally ,in cross-sectionat its upper end, .as shownin Figs. 5 and 6, but changes to a circularcross-section below.

lfressed into the open upper end of receptacle l 4and thus securedtherein is a plug 3 which may be magie of a suitable plastic material.Said plug has a circular bore 4 dimensioned .to t the pen barrel.

"A U-shaped` metal member 5 comprising a front 'landt uconstitutes theprincipal element ofva pocket clip. Arms i and .8 have inwardlyturnedears la and 8a vwhich are seated lin apertures drilled through the WallYof receptacle l and into the body of plug 3. Said ears -function aspivots about which the member 5 vis rotatable. r`The lower edge 6a ofplate 6 functions as ajawin cooperation with the adjacent frontsurfacelof receptacle I to secure the latterto a4 pocketrontpiece. `Whenin use, the edge portion of la pocket frontpiece is situatedin-the space9 (seefFigs. 2 and 4).

As viewed in Figs.A 2 and 4, clip 5 is continuously .urged in aeounterclockwise directionlby means of .a hair-pin shaped `spring lfwhich is disposed inside the receptacle. rAs shown most clearly in Fig.5, the, end lila of spring lil is bent rightlangularlyto the leg ofwhich itforms .a part and iszseated in a hole drilled in plug.3. 'I he,other end Aof spring l!) bears againstan inwardlyiturned stud"ib-forming an integral .part otarrn-I and extending through asuitableslot in the adjacentwall of receptacle I. Plug 3 is cut.awayalong one side to provide clearance for springV l0 and stud lb.

;In Fgs..2 and 4, I have .shown the member 5 plate` Gand twolaterally-extending parallel arms in approximately the position itassumes whenIv gripping a pocket frontpiece-making due allowance for thethickness of the gripped fabric. With the receptacle free from thepocket the jaw 6a presses against the adjacent front surface of thereceptacle.

The end of jaw 6a moves in a path identified in Figs. 2 and 4 by thedot-dash arc I I and the tangent to that arc at the tip of the jaw, atthe position in which it is shown, is identified by dotdash line I3. Itwill be apparent that at the limit of its travel, when gripping a pocketfrontpiece, the jaw Ba, is, to all intents and purposes, moving in apath defined by the tangent I3. Obviously, any force operating uwardlyon receptacle I and tending to dislodge it from a pocket, while the clipis in gripping engagement with the frontpiece, will produce a downwardlydirected counterforce on jaw 6a. This, manifestly, engenders a grippingforce, normal to the vertical force couple, between jaw 6a and theadjacent surface of the receptacle. The greater the force tending todislodge the receptacle, the greater will be the gripping forceresisting dislodgment; and the smaller the angle A between the tangentline I3 and the line Ill, which is parallelto the longitudinal axis ofthe receptacle, the greater will be the gripping force proportionatelyto the vertical force tending to dislodge the receptacle.

If maximum gripping force were the only factor to be considered, itclearly would be desirable to so design the clip as to obtain an angle Aof very small magnitude. But, if the pivotal center of member 5 is soplaced as to attain that end, the clip will not open to a satisfactoryextent when an attempt is made to open it for attachment or release.Hence, as a practical matter, it is advisable to locate the pivotalcenter of member 5, not at the position which will produce the maximumgripping force but rather at a position will produce a satisfactorygripping force while at the same time enabling the clip to opensuiciently so that it will not drag when the receptacle is being removedfrom the pocket and, further, so that it will not be difiicult to attachthe clip to the pocket frontpiece. There is no established optimum valuefor angle A but, in general, I have found that an angle of about thirtydegrees gives good results. It is to be understood, however, that anyangle within the range of angles between five degrees and seventy-fivedegrees may be employed without departing from the scope of myinvention.

The clip is opened for both attachment and release by pressing on theupper edge portion of front plate There are various possiblemodifications within the ambit of my inventive concept and, accordingly,I do not wish to be limited except by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In combination, an elongate receptacle open at itsl upper end andintended to be carried upright in a pocket and to be fastened thereto, a

. U-shaped clip member comprising a front plate and a pair of spacedparallel arms rigid therewith, said clip member being located near theupper end of said receptacle with said receptacle disposed between saidarms, means pivotally connecting said arms to said receptacle forrocking movement about a xed pivot so that the clip member is rotatablein a vertical plane, the lower edge of said front plate being operativeas a jaw, in cooperation with the adjacent surface of said receptacle,for gripping the frontpiece of a pocket, and a hair-pin spring situatedinside said receptacle and anchored at one end, the other end of saidspring being connected with one of said arms in such manner that itcontinuously urges said clip member, rotatively, in a direction such asto close the space between said jaw and the adjacent surface of thereceptacle, the pivoted center of said clip member being locatedrearwardly of a longitudinal medial plane through said article wherebythe lower edge of said front plate is movable along an arcuate pathdownwardly and toward said receptacle and upwardly and away from saidreceptacle, alternately, the tangent to said path at the point ofContact of said lower edge with the pocket frontpiece eX- tending at anangle of more than five degrees and less than seventy-five deg-rees tothe longitudinal axis of said receptacle.

.2. In combination, an elongate article adapted Y to be carried uprightin the pocket, a rigid clip having a pair of arms at least partiallyembracing said article, and a jaw rigid with and extending from saidarms downwardly along one side of said article with the free end thereofadapted to directly engage the side of said article, means pivotallymounting said arms on said article for rocking movement about a pivotfixed relatively to said article and said clip and located rearwardly ofa medial longitudinal plane through said article and in a planeperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the article and displacedupwardly from the free end of said jaw sufliciently whereby the tangentto the arc of movement of the free end of said jaw at the point ofengagement between the free end of the jaw and the article makes anangle of between five degrees and seventy-five degrees with the side ofthe article, and spring means yieldingly urging the clip in a directionto cause the free end of the jaw to directly engage the side of saidarticle.

Y 3. In combination, an elongate receptacle, open at its upper end andintended to be carried upright in a pocket and to be fastened thereto, a

. plug inserted in the open end of said receptacle and secured therein,said plug having a bore extending lengthwise of the receptacle andadapted to accommodate a writing instrument, a U- shaped clip membercomprising a front plate and a pair of spaced parallel arms, said clipmember being located near the upper end of said receptacle, with saidreceptacle disposed between said arms and said front plate extendingdownwardly along said receptacle, means pivotally connecting said armsto said receptacle for rocking movement about a fixed horizontal axis sothat the clipr member is rotatable in a vertical plane, the lower edgeof Vsaid front plate being operative as a jaw, in cooperation with theadjacent front surface of said receptacle, for gripping the frontpieceof a pocket, and a hair-pin spring situated inside said receptacle alongone side thereof and anchored at one end to said plug and relativelyfree atV the other end, one of said arms having a stud forwardly of saidpivot axis and projecting into said receptacle into engagement with saidother end of said spring whereby sald spring urges said clip member,rotatively, in a direction such as to close the space between said jawand the adjacent surface of the receptacle, the pivotal axis of saidclip member being located rearwardly of a medial longitudinal planethrough said article and upwardly from the lower edge of said frontplate, whereby the lower edge of said frontplate is movable nalong anarcuate path downwardly and toward said receptacle and upwardly and awayfrom said receptacle, alternately, the tangent to said path at the pointof contact of said lower edge With the pocket frontpiece extending at anangle or" approximately thirty degrees to the longitudinal axis of saidreceptacle.

RUSSELL 'I'. WING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

Number l Number France Nov. 20, 1926

